How often do you use your oven? Probably a lot more now that the temperatures are dropping and a little warmth in your home is welcome. (As I type there’s a celeriac roasting in mine.) And how often do you think about minimizing the energy output of your kitchen? Hopefully more once you read this easy how-to list from The Conscious Kitchen, excerpted below. Every little bit helps!

MINIMIZING STOVE AND OVEN ENERGY OUTPUT

Whatever kind of cooker you have – new or old – here are ways to minimize its impact:

-Make sure all elements are in good working order.

-Match your pot size to the burner size or you will waste heat/energy.

-Pots and pans come with lids for a reason. Use them.

-If you use drip pans under your burners, keep them clean. And don’t use aluminum foil liners for this purpose. Good-quality reflector pans save energy and are made to last.

-Gas stove burner holes can get clogged. If the flame is uneven or yellow, turn it off and carefully unclog it with a pin or an unfurled paper clip.

-Calibrate your oven (see below).

-Don’t preheat, even when baking. And don’t repeatedly open the oven door to check cooking items. Both waste heat. If you have an oven with a glass door, peek through there.

-Like your refrigerator, the oven door has a seal. Make sure it’s tight and not sagging, and that the door hinges are in good working order.

-Don’t overuse the self-cleaning feature (don’t use it more than once a month), or you’ll waste the energy you were hoping to save by having it. Place a sheet pan in the oven to catch drips and grease so you won’t even need to clean.

-If you turn on the oven, fill it up. Use that heat to bake/roast/broil more than one thing at a time.

Ovens often run too hot or too cold. To fix this, you can adjust your own cooking to match however your oven seems to go, you can get a thermometer, or you can “calibrate” it (fancy for fixing it). This is easiest to do with a digital stove – follow the instructions in the manual. For nondigital ovens and/or if you don’t have the manual, Google the instructions for your make and model. The process can be overwhelming for the un-handy, so call in a repair person or a handy friend if needed.